The Necklace Literary Analysis
The Necklace By Guy de Maupassant Mathilde and Loisel had no luxury at all, but Mathilde still wished for the good things in life. Her husband, whom would do anything for his wife, got an invitation for a party where all the “important people” (177) would be. Not everyone was given an invitation to the party, so Loisel thought his wife would be surprised and excited. Mathilde did not appreciate the invitation and offended her husband by saying she’d “look like a pauper” (178) and would “rather not go to that party” (178). Mathilde kept complaining about how awful she would look if she didn’t have a nice, rich, expensive dress. Loisel did everything possible to try getting her a dress and spent the money he was saving up for himself. Mathilde
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still wasn’t satisfied and needed jewelry so she asked Mme. Forestier if she can borrow a piece of jewelry. The author described the necklace as a “treasure” (179). Finally, the day of the party arrived and Mathilde felt “wild of joy” (179). She was the happiest she could ever be. It was a dreamy night for Mathilde, she looked amazing. When the party was done and over, she noticed that the necklace she had borrowed went missing. Mathilde and Loisel did everything to try to find the necklace until they gave up. They tried going to the jeweler to try to find a necklace similar to the one Mathilde had borrowed, and surprisingly, they have found the jewel exactly like Mme. Forestier’s and bought it. They paid ten years of their lives for “replacing that piece of jewelry” (182). After that long period of time, she finally had confessed to Mme. Forestier about the necklace and finding out “it was only paste” (182).
Biography/Primary Source Connections
When reading about Guy de Maupassant’s life, I found connections with “The Necklace”. According to “Guy de Maupassant” (the biography), it mentioned that Guy was “a passionate lover” (1). This reminded me of how Loisel would show Mathilde how much he loves he loves her. He gave up the money “he had set aside” (178) for a rifle to hang out with some of his friends just so he can pleasure his wife with happiness. A Woman’s Life was a book by Maupassant that talks about a woman who “was leaving the convent, radiant, full of youthful sap and hunger for happiness, primed for all the joyful experiences all the charming occurrences” (3). This was in a connection with Mathilde when she was so “wild of joy” (179) attending that party. Pierre et Jean is another one of Guy’s book that talks about “the tale of a man’s tragic jealousy of his half-brother” (3) whom is like Mathilde and is also jealous and hates Mme. Forestier. According to Mathilde, she had “plenty of misfortunes” (182) all because of her. In another book, The Jewels of M. Lantin’, mentions a guy where “he takes her necklace to a jeweler who tells that it is very valuable” (Guy de Maupassant [1850-1893] 3) and it reminded me of when Loisel and Mathilde “took the case to the jeweler” (180) to try to find the necklace that Mathilde lost at the “evening reception” (177). The book also mentioned that “Lantin has believed that his wife’s jewelry were fakes” (3). In the short story, the necklace that mathilde lost “was only paste” (182).
What is Selfishness
The “common notation” (1) of a selfish being is “a person who lacks any concern for the values of others” (1). It was mentioned that selfish people are only doing things for themselves. The selfish don’t care about what they put someone else through. Selfish people love the positive emotions they get when they are being served to and they don’t find a good reason why they shouldn’t be served to. They only benefit from someone and are being described as a “selfish bastard” (2). Some people also mistake the definition of selfish. They can be doing absolutely nothing wrong but someone will confuse them for something they are not. For example, someone who works for months and saving money for something valuable and feeling happy is not selfish. The people who see it wrong think that they should share the item. When the item is given, the man who worked hard to receive something valuable “feels pain for the loss of the item” (2). The individual that asks for something that is not theirs is the one who is named selfish. A man and his mind can too be selfish even if living “completely alone” (3). It can be messing up your mind and making you do things you don’t want to do. Being selfish won’t always feel like a feeling of achievement. One who decides to run away is not acting selfish, but a choice that makes us feel “self-doubt” (3).
Article & The Necklace Connections
In “What is Selfishness”, the author mentions that being selfish is when “one is putting one’s happiness and mental health above all else” (3).
In “The Necklace” Loisel put the money he had “set aside” (178) to buy her a dress. Selfish is also a “person who lacks any concern for the values of others” and it reminded me of when Mathilde knew what Loisel was saving his money for but she still wanted the dress. Loisel “turned a bit pale” (178) but still managed to get her the dress. “The selfish man indeed goes after these positive emotions” (2) and it was mentioned that Mathilde was “disconsolate” (177) and would dream of all the luxuries. The article also mentions that a “man feels chronic anxiety and jealousy and acts to gratify his need” (2). This is a connection with mathilde when it showed how she was jealous of Mme. Forestier whom she “would no longer go to see” (177) because she had good fortune. Maupassant also wrote in “The Necklace” about how Loisel put aside his fun and put in “four hundred francs” (178) to get her a “nice dress” (178) and this would be connected to how the selfish will be “putting anything else above the achievement of one’s happiness” (3). In the article, the author said that “the only benefit we have for anything in life is positive emotions.” Just like how Mathilde would only feel happy if she saw a beneficial outcome out of it. Loisel brought her the invitation and instead of mathilde “being delighted” (177) she threw the printed card because she didn’t have anything to wear that would make her
luxurious.
still wasn’t satisfied and needed jewelry so she asked Mme. Forestier if she can borrow a piece of jewelry. The author described the necklace as a “treasure” (179). Finally, the day of the party arrived and Mathilde felt “wild of joy” (179). She was the happiest she could ever be. It was a dreamy night for Mathilde, she looked amazing. When the party was done and over, she noticed that the necklace she had borrowed went missing. Mathilde and Loisel did everything to try to find the necklace until they gave up. They tried going to the jeweler to try to find a necklace similar to the one Mathilde had borrowed, and surprisingly, they have found the jewel exactly like Mme. Forestier’s and bought it. They paid ten years of their lives for “replacing that piece of jewelry” (182). After that long period of time, she finally had confessed to Mme. Forestier about the necklace and finding out “it was only paste” (182).
Biography/Primary Source Connections
When reading about Guy de Maupassant’s life, I found connections with “The Necklace”. According to “Guy de Maupassant” (the biography), it mentioned that Guy was “a passionate lover” (1). This reminded me of how Loisel would show Mathilde how much he loves he loves her. He gave up the money “he had set aside” (178) for a rifle to hang out with some of his friends just so he can pleasure his wife with happiness. A Woman’s Life was a book by Maupassant that talks about a woman who “was leaving the convent, radiant, full of youthful sap and hunger for happiness, primed for all the joyful experiences all the charming occurrences” (3). This was in a connection with Mathilde when she was so “wild of joy” (179) attending that party. Pierre et Jean is another one of Guy’s book that talks about “the tale of a man’s tragic jealousy of his half-brother” (3) whom is like Mathilde and is also jealous and hates Mme. Forestier. According to Mathilde, she had “plenty of misfortunes” (182) all because of her. In another book, The Jewels of M. Lantin’, mentions a guy where “he takes her necklace to a jeweler who tells that it is very valuable” (Guy de Maupassant [1850-1893] 3) and it reminded me of when Loisel and Mathilde “took the case to the jeweler” (180) to try to find the necklace that Mathilde lost at the “evening reception” (177). The book also mentioned that “Lantin has believed that his wife’s jewelry were fakes” (3). In the short story, the necklace that mathilde lost “was only paste” (182).
What is Selfishness
The “common notation” (1) of a selfish being is “a person who lacks any concern for the values of others” (1). It was mentioned that selfish people are only doing things for themselves. The selfish don’t care about what they put someone else through. Selfish people love the positive emotions they get when they are being served to and they don’t find a good reason why they shouldn’t be served to. They only benefit from someone and are being described as a “selfish bastard” (2). Some people also mistake the definition of selfish. They can be doing absolutely nothing wrong but someone will confuse them for something they are not. For example, someone who works for months and saving money for something valuable and feeling happy is not selfish. The people who see it wrong think that they should share the item. When the item is given, the man who worked hard to receive something valuable “feels pain for the loss of the item” (2). The individual that asks for something that is not theirs is the one who is named selfish. A man and his mind can too be selfish even if living “completely alone” (3). It can be messing up your mind and making you do things you don’t want to do. Being selfish won’t always feel like a feeling of achievement. One who decides to run away is not acting selfish, but a choice that makes us feel “self-doubt” (3).
Article & The Necklace Connections
In “What is Selfishness”, the author mentions that being selfish is when “one is putting one’s happiness and mental health above all else” (3).
In “The Necklace” Loisel put the money he had “set aside” (178) to buy her a dress. Selfish is also a “person who lacks any concern for the values of others” and it reminded me of when Mathilde knew what Loisel was saving his money for but she still wanted the dress. Loisel “turned a bit pale” (178) but still managed to get her the dress. “The selfish man indeed goes after these positive emotions” (2) and it was mentioned that Mathilde was “disconsolate” (177) and would dream of all the luxuries. The article also mentions that a “man feels chronic anxiety and jealousy and acts to gratify his need” (2). This is a connection with mathilde when it showed how she was jealous of Mme. Forestier whom she “would no longer go to see” (177) because she had good fortune. Maupassant also wrote in “The Necklace” about how Loisel put aside his fun and put in “four hundred francs” (178) to get her a “nice dress” (178) and this would be connected to how the selfish will be “putting anything else above the achievement of one’s happiness” (3). In the article, the author said that “the only benefit we have for anything in life is positive emotions.” Just like how Mathilde would only feel happy if she saw a beneficial outcome out of it. Loisel brought her the invitation and instead of mathilde “being delighted” (177) she threw the printed card because she didn’t have anything to wear that would make her
luxurious.